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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-01-2022 - Agenda AGENDA CITY OF DOWNEY RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION 4:00 PM Tuesday, February 1, 2022 Downey City Hall – 1st Floor Council Chambers 11111 Brookshire Ave., Downey, CA 90241 I. CALL TO ORDER: 1. Roll Call: Chair: Wood Vice Chair: Ceja Trujillo Commissioners: Ramirez, Hanks, and Gonzalez 2. Pledge of Allegiance: Vice Chair Ceja Trujillo 3. Invocation: Commissioner Hanks 4. Welcome to Members and Guests SEE SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND ACCESSIBLITY FOR THE FEBRUARY 1, 2022 RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISION MEETING II. AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENTS: This portion provides an opportunity for the public to address the Commission on items within the jurisdiction of the Commission and not listed on the agenda. It is requested, but not required, that you state your name, address and subject matter upon which you will speak. Please limit your comments to no more than 5 minutes. Pursuant to the Brown Act, no discussion or action, other than a referral to staff or schedule of subsequent agenda, shall be taken by the Commission on any issue brought forth under this section. III. CONSENT CALENDAR: 1. Approve Commission Minutes for the December 9, 2021 Meeting IV. DIRECTOR REPORTS/DISCUSSION: 1. Receive and File Administrative Updates on Upcoming Special Events 2. Receive and File the Administrative Activity Report for The Months of December- January, 2021 3. Receive and File Administrative Updates on The Downey Civic Theatre 4. Receive and File Administrative Updates on The Rio Hondo Golf Course V. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS/DISCUSSION: 1. Review and Discuss Park Checklists Assigned to Commissioners for the Months of December, 2021 and January, 2022 VI. ADJOURNMENT: Supporting documents are available at: www.downeyca.org; Department of Parks and Recreation, 7850 Quill Drive, Suite C, Downey, CA 90242, Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, complete the City’s Title II ADA Reasonable Accommodation Form located on the City’s website and at City Hall - City Clerk’s Department, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and submit to the City Clerk’s Department or contact the City Clerk’s Department at (562) 904-7280 or the California Relay Service at 7-1-1. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make arrangements to assure accessibility. The City of Downey does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities. The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices. Questions, concerns, complaints or requests for additional information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act may be forwarded to the City’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, CA 90241, ADACoordinator@downeyca.org; Phone: (562) 299-6619; FAX: (562) 923-6388; California Relay at 7-1-1. I, Shantae Duren, Administrative Assistant, City of Downey, do hereby certify, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing notice was posted pursuant to Government Code Section 54950 Et. Seq., at the following locations: Downey City Hall, Downey City Library, and Barbara J. Riley Senior Center. Dated this 27th day January, 2021 Shantae Duren Shantae Duren Staff Liaison, Recreation and Community Services commission 1 SPECIAL NOTICE Public Participation and Accessibility for the February 1, 2022 Downey Recreation and Community Services Commission Meeting Pursuant to Downey City Council Resolution No. 22-8048, Authorizing the Use of Remote Teleconferencing Provision Pursuant to AB 361, adopted on January 12, 2022, the Regular Recreation and Community Services Commission Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. will allow member of the public to view, listen and participate in the meetings virtually/remotely. Members of the public wishing to submit public comment to the Recreation and Community Services Commission regarding items on the agenda and non-agenda may do so in writing or telephonically. Below are the ways to participate in the Recreation and Community Services Commission Meeting at 4:00 p.m. 1. Join the meeting (Audio Only): URL to join the Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87396779190?pwd=L2tOck9ZeEZDQzB3NDdaMVdTZ25qZz09 Meeting ID: 873 9677 9190 Passcode: 011893 Call Toll-Free (audio only): (877) 853-5247 or (888) 788-0099 Members of the public wishing to address the Recreation and Community Services Commission during public comment or for a specific agenda item, or both, may do so by the following methods. 3. E-mail: parksandrec@downeyca.org In order to effectively accommodate public participation, participants are asked to provide their public comments via e-mail by 2:00 p.m. on February 1, 2022. Participants addressing the Recreation and Community Services Commission by email are encouraged to provide the following information: a) Full Name; b) City of Residence; c) Subject or Agenda Item No.; d) Written Comments. 4. Via Zoom Meeting 1. If someone wishes to address the Board during the Public Comment section, they must first “Raise a Hand” by – a. Computer App = Clicking on the button to “Raise a Hand” b. Phone Call = Press the keys *9 to “Raise a Hand” 2 2. The meeting host will send an Unmute request to each caller in turn to unmute themselves a. Computer App = Clicking on the button to unmute b. Phone Call = Press the keys *6 to unmute their call 3. The caller will have five (5) minutes for their comments to be heard 4. After the five (5) minutes concludes, the caller will be muted once again 5. The next caller in the meeting with a “raised hand” will then be allowed to make their comments Participants addressing the Cemetery District Board of Trustees via zoom are encouraged to provide the following information: a) Full Name; b) City of Residence; c) Subject or Agenda Item No.; d) Public Comment. For any questions contact the Parks and Recreation Administration office at (562) 904-7238. MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY The Recreation and Community Services Commission held a Special Meeting at 4:01p.m. December 9, 2021 in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, California, Chair Wood presiding. Commissioner Gonzalez led the pledge of allegiance and Chair Wood gave the invocation. Present: Chair Wood Commissioner Hanks Commissioner Gonzalez Absent: Vice Chair Ceja Trujillo Commissioner Ramirez Also Present: Jason Chacon, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation Shantae Duren, Administrative Assistant Welcome to Members and Guests: Vice Chair Wood welcomed members and guests. Agenda and Non-Agenda Public Comment: Jeff McCaughan spoke to the Commission requesting that they look into the possibility of converting one of the tennis courts at Furman Park into Pickleball courts. Mr. McCaughan explained that there is a large community of individuals in the area who play pickleball, and that they currently have to drive to Seal Beach to do so. Mr. McCaughan also explained that you can fit 4 pickleball courts onto one tennis court. Mr. McCaughan ask that at the least, a study be done to see if the demand is there for pickleball courts to be added to one of the parks in Downey. Interim Director Chacon advised Mr. McCaughan that the Department is looking into performing a study using a portable setup to see if the interest is there and to see which park would be the most logical park to add pickleball courts to if the City chooses to add them. Mr. Chacon gave Mr. McCaughan his card and let him know that he would be in touch with him. Consent Calendar: 1. Approve Commission Minutes: October 5, 2021 Commissioner Hanks Motioned to approve the minutes from the October 5, 2021 Commission meeting, the motion was seconded by Commissioner Gonzalez and the motion passed 3:0 to approve the minutes. Director Reports/Discussion: 1. Updates on Crawford and Temple Park Playground Upgrades Mr. Chacon advised the Commission that the Department had recently secured some money from grants to begin remodeling Crawford and Temple Parks. Mr. Chacon advised that the remodel will update the parks to be ADA compliant as well as to add pour and play rubber surfaces, new play structures, shade components, and also add audio visual compensates at the playgrounds to be more inclusive to the disabled community. 2. Updates on the Rio San Gabriel Park Renovations Mr. Chacon reported that Rio San Gabriel is still undergoing renovations to the playing field and the irrigation systems. Mr. Chacon stated that the City hopes to have the renovation complete in the coming weeks, then staff will be seeding the grass which will need approximately 2 months to grow in. Mr. Chacon advised that the City is hoping to have the park fully open by spring. 3. Downey Theatre Updates Interim Director Chacon reported that the Theatre hosted its annual Dia de los Muertos event after 2 years off and the event received approximately 25,000 attendees. Mr. Chacon reported that there were lots of families in attendance and that Senator Archuleta presented a certificate to the Downey Art Correlation at the event. Mr. Chacon reported that at the end of the event the Theatre hosted a ticket show featuring the Mariachi Divas, which was a sold-out show. Mr. Chacon finished by updating the commission on upcoming shows the Theatre will be hosting, including; the Beauty & the Beast Sing- along, the Grease Sing-along, Willy Chirino, and the Mariachi Los Camperos as well as many additional private rentals. 4. Rio Hondo Golf Course Updates Interim Director Chacon reported that the golf course has stayed on pace and is still consistently showing increases in profits over years past. Mr. Chacon reported that the City is looking into scheduling improvement projects at the golf course, including; Extending the Netting along the golf course as well as sidewalk improvements. Mr. Chacon reported that Wedgewood weddings at Rio Hondo hosted 8 weddings, 12 meetings, and 11 misc. events during the month of November. Mr. Chacon also reported that Wedgewood also resumed paying the City rent in October. 5. October/November Activity Report Mr. Chacon gave the Commission an overview of the October/November Activity Report which included; continuing the senior wellness program and meal deliveries, the return of the first Mondays program and the Café Quill events at the Barbara J. Riley Community & Senior Center, the start of “Walking Wednesdays” at the senior center, the Pumpkin Patch Halloween event held on October 31, 2021, the Holiday Home Decorating Contest, preschool programing, contract classes and sports program participation numbers for the month of November, the ridership numbers for the Downey Link increasing, and filling the transit Management Analyst position after almost 3 years of vacancy. Commission Member Reports/Discussion: 1. Park Checklists • Chair Wood reported that she visited Crawford Park and that the park was small and clean, but not a very exciting park and that the park could use some updates. • Chair Wood also reported that she visited Independence Park as well and that the skate park and futsal courts were neat. Chair Wood stated that it is not a very pretty park, but it is well kept. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 4:38 pm _ ____________ Jeanie Wood, Chair CITY OF DOWNEY RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MEMO Date: February 1, 2022 To: Recreation and Community Services Commission From: Jason Chacon, Interim Director of Parks & Recreation Subject: Activity Report: December, 2021 – January, 2022 BARBARA J. RILEY COMMUNITY & SENIOR CENTER (BJR) Events and Activities The Barbara J. Riley Community & Senior Center (BJR) has been open on a modified schedule. Monday- Thursday, 8:00am-9:00pm, Fridays 8:00am-5:30pm and Saturdays from 10:00am-2:00pm. The Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center continues the Downey Senior Wellness Program offering seniors 65+ with frozen meals free of charge during the COVID-19 Pandemic. There is an average of 50 reservations made for the pickup service and 50 residents in need for home delivery. The Senior Meal program is serving approximately 5000 meals a month for seniors. This month BJR provided treat bags for the holidays and partnered with “Downey Cares Club” from Downey High School to provide hand written notes to the seniors. On Monday, December 6th the Senior Monday program held its holiday event. Warren High School choir came to perform for the seniors. The event hosted over 75 patrons and dinner was catered by Café n’ Stuff. Doors opened at 2:45pm and the events main entertainment ran from 3:45pm-4:45pm, with dinner served at 5:00pm. Downey Post Acute center hosted a informational table and provided raffle prizes for the seniors. Prizes included: A coffee maker, a Target gift card, a Throw blanket and See’s Candy. On Wednesday, December 8th, the Barbara J. Riley Center hosted its annual Christmas Quill. This sold out event catered to 85 seniors. After dinner, DJ Beatdrop came to the stage and got the seniors out of their seats and onto the dance floor. The night concluded with the raffle of giveaways and prizes. Dwyane Jenkins was present this evening and sponsored the photo booth and provided a cake for the raffle giveaway. Programming Fall Classes are wrapping up for the season. Classes continue to adhere to the Los Angeles County Covid-19 Protocols. Classes currently being offered are Fitness, Dance, Art, Music, Tumbling, Tennis and Karate. BJR currently offers classes for all ages. The current enrollment numbers for the classes being offered are: Karate: 100 enrolled Dance: 121 enrolled Fitness: 76 enrolled Yoga: 20 enrolled Ice Skating: 9 enrolled Line Dancing: 27 enrolled Tumbling: 90 enrolled Art: 49 enrolled Winter/Spring Classes began on January 3rd. The current enrollment numbers for the classes being offered are: Karate: 83 enrolled Dance: 199 enrolled Fitness: 58 enrolled Yoga: 34 enrolled Ice Skating: 15 enrolled Line Dancing: 20 enrolled Tumbling: 84 enrolled Art: 48 enrolled Bingo and Loteria are currently being offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:30am-10:30am. There are roughly 12 seniors in attendance and every winner receives a prize. The Creative Hands Social Club hosted the December crafting event on Friday, December 17, 2021 from 12:45pm – 3:00pm. The event had 13 people registered. The month’s featured craft was a Step by Step Christmas Tree. The Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center averages over 6,000 patrons who use the facility throughout the month for contracted classes, events, meetings, rentals, the fitness room, the computer lab and the billiards room. Excursions On Saturday, December 4th, 48 seniors took a trip to the Spaghetti Factory and a viewing of the Mission Inn lights in Riverside. Seniors enjoyed a hot meal before heading to downtown Riverside for the Festival of lights. Community Outreach The Barbara J. Riley Community & Senior Center (BJR) is being used as a COVID testing facility to assist the public with easier access to making COVID-19 appointments during this time. Testing site is being held in the rear parking lot. The Parks and Recreation Department along with the Human Resources Department will be hosting a Recruitment Expo on Saturday, February 19th for part-time positions for seasonal and year-round work. Candidates can apply in advance and may have an opportunity to be scheduled for a interview. Applications received after January 28th or walk-ins on February 19th will be reviewed, and interviews will be conducted as needed. Some candidates will even be able to complete pre-employment paperwork and fingerprinting day-of. Preschool The various preschool programs had fun enjoying winter and holiday themed crafts and activities. Wee Three (3-year olds) and Tot Time (4-year olds) had a special visit from Santa Claus and the children were able to take pictures with him. The kids also did a special performance for their parents/family. Four different classes (Teach Me Too, Wee Three, Tot Time, and Tots of Fun) also participated in book exchanges with their peers. Each participant brought a wrapped book and after the exchange opened up their gift to have a new book to take home and read. For the Fall season, Wee Three had two classes totaling 34 kids, Tot Time had two classes totaling 33 kids and met two times a week for four months. Teach Me Too is a parent and me class, over the course of four weeks, and had a total of 44 kids over the 3 sessions in Fall. Tots of Fun is another parent and me class in a four-week session and had a total of 62 kids over the 3 sessions in the Fall. Lastly, Messy Jump and Play for the littlest participants age range from 1.5 years to 5 years, is a parent and me class, over the course of four weeks and had a total of 67 participants over the 3 sessions for Fall. Wee Three (3-year olds) and Tot Time (4-year olds) drop-off preschool program, had sign- ups for second semester that runs January – May. Children who participated in the first semester had priority registration and then the remaining spots were available for new students. The classes meet two times a week for four months. Wee Three has two classes totaling 40 kids, Tot Time has two classes totaling 30 kids. They practice fine motor skills, patterns, letters, and other educational tools in a fun way to prepare them for school. Teach Me Too is a parent and me class, over the course of four weeks, and had a total of 13 kids signed up for January. Tots of Fun is another parent and me class in a four-week session and had a total of 20 kids signed up for January. Lastly, Messy Jump and Play for the littlest participants age range from 1.5 years to 5 years, is a parent and me class, over the course of four weeks and had a total of 22 participants for the month of January. Camps “Camp Avalanche” was held at Furman Park during the two weeks of winter break from school and had 45 campers registered for each week. The camp offered participants 6-14 years of age to learn, explore, stay active, and make friends. They were able to go on field trips to the movies, Knott’s Merry Farm, and John’s Incredible Pizza. While at the park, they participated in crafts, arts, indoor games, and outdoor games. The end of each week, culminated in fun themed activities of a Holiday day for week 1 and New Year’s Day for week 2, complete with an apple juice toast. “Cooking Camp from Around the World” was offered Dec 27th - 30th for youth 5-11 years of age and had 7 participants. Different recipes were created from appetizers to entrees, snacks, desserts and more! They also learned about nutrition, dining etiquette, and cooperation skills in this hands-on class! The participants had fun and filled the air at the Barbara J Riley Community and Senior Center with delicious smells. Camps staff are preparing for Spring Break Camp from April 11-15th. Parents can register starting Monday February 28th. RECREATION & SPORTS Our sports academies and leagues are close to finishing up their first sessions at the end of January. In February, we are preparing to offer the second session of developmental leagues and academies to get our youth involved in game like situations in the sport they are participating in. These sports include Basketball, Futsal, Dance, Running, and Baseball. The participants range from ages 3-17 years old. The McCaughan gymnasium, at Apollo Park, is expected to have around 373 kids participate in sports programs this winter season. The sports programs provide support in skill development for athletes of any age and any ability levels. We offer a number of different sports. Currently there are over 70 kids enrolled in the baseball programs, 66 kids in the winter basketball classes, another 93 enrolled in Futsal, and 51 kids enrolled in soccer. During the winter season we also incorporate a football camp for athletes who are 8-18 years old. Currently there are 54 athletes enrolled in this program for the winter season. The volleyball program currently has 35 athletes enrolled. We are looking forward to helping these young athletes develop and strengthen their skills throughout this winter season. Our instructors and staff are offering additional fitness classes to further reach our community with programs that meet their needs and interests. Some of those classes include new dance classes and fitness focused programs for younger age groups to promote and encourage development in the fundamental skills within our classes. Also, throughout the month of January to March, our new motherhood wellness courses are available to patrons. DOWNEY THEATRE During the month of December, the Theatre hosted 5 rentals events which included: • Danza Arte de Mexico • Ballet Folklorico en la Sangre • DUSD – Esports • WHS – Winter Band Concert • Art Dance Academy As of January 15th, 2022, all events to exceed 500 capacity are considered "indoor mega events" and vaccination cards and/or negative Covid-19 tests are now required upon entry. The Theatre has since partnered with Servexo, a third-party security company to facilitate all vaccination and negative Covid test screenings for performers, volunteers, rental clients and audience. In order to retain as many upcoming events possible, the Theatre was approved to offer our rental clients the option to proceed at full capacity, with the requirement of vaccination or negative Covid test screening or an option to reduce overall capacity to under 500. This option has allowed most Theatre events to move forward. The Theatre's schedule for January consisted of a total of 5 events, which is comparable and consistent historically for the month of January. • January 8th - Stars of Lacaye "Cher, Elton, Dolly Edwards Twins" Variety Show. o 93 total ticket sold • January 22nd - Downey Symphony o Reschedule due to Covid-19. New date scheduled for May 7th 2022 • January 22nd - Private Funeral Reception (contracted after Downey Symphony rescheduled) o 49 in attendance • January 23rd - The Dance Co. o 668 in attendance The Dance Co. was our first event managing the vaccination/negative test operation. Overall, went very well. All audience and performers were well informed of the new policy and no one was turned away. Only a few refunds, in advance of the show, were requested. Theatre Management is having a post- event wrap up with Servexo to discuss operations and if anything needs to be revised prior to next event. • January 29th - Te Varua Ori (2 shows) o Show #1 – 371 o Show #2 – 671 We will also be managing this event under the new Indoor Mega Event guidelines. All performers and audience have been notified in advance. Looking ahead to February, begins Dance Competition season. Due to the nature of these types of events, Theatre Management has worked closely with each of these rental clients to modify their day of show operations. Historically, these events have been non-ticketed, free to the public and all day starting on Thursday through Sunday. Due to the new mandate, these events will be modified to a ticketed environment and capacity will be limited to under 500 at all times. The Theatre is contracted every weekend in February and events consist of: • February 4-6th - Spotlight Dance Competition • February 12th - Varsity Vocals (will be operating at full capacity and vaccination/neg testing required) • February 17th - 20th - The Countdown Competition • February 24th - 27th - The Countdown Competition Season show sales are looking great! Below are the updated ticket counts: • Beauty & the Beast, March 20th = Sold 407 • Willy Chirino (Show #1) April 1st = Sold 509 • Willy Chirino (Show #2) April 2nd = Sold 489 • Grease Sing Along = April 10th = Sold 348 • Mariachi Los Camperos, Mother's Day Event, May 8th = Sold 285 RIO HONDO GOLF COURSE Golf Shop and Course December showed an increase of profit by over $10,000 from last December. As far as the course is concerned, staff has been preparing for the rains by lowering all lake levels and cleaning and exposing drain inlets. The growth of the turf on the fairways has slowed down due to the fall weather; staff will step up divot repairs until next spring. Wedgewood Weddings at Rio Hondo The Wedgewood Weddings Event Center at Rio Hondo hosted the following numbers of wedding and events during the months of December and January: December: • Weddings- 6 • Meetings- 9 • Social Events- 5 • Board Room Reservations- 2 January: • Meetings: 9 • Non-Weddings: 4 • Weddings: 7 We also received a very sweet email from Downey Rotary in regards to their children’s holiday event they had with us last month. TRANSIT In the month of November, the Dial-A-Ride transported 813 passengers for curb to curb service. For the Downey Link fixed route, there were 4,572 riders. In anticipation of the holiday months, additional service started after Thanksgiving by providing two separate fixed routes; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This allowed residents and riders to get to shopping destinations such as the shopping centers and supermarkets for all their holiday needs. In the month of December, the Dial-A-Ride transported 814 passengers for curb to curb service. For the Downey Link fixed route in Downey, there were 3,821 riders. Due to the pandemic, the City of Downey signed an emergency order that suspended the collection of fares for Downey LINK and Downey Dial-A-Ride. As of January 2021, it is still free to ride both of these transportation options.